Peter Phillips Photography Part 2
by claira42
Summary: If you have come this far then you are hungry for more. You have to remember that I wrote this about two or three years ago and I did keep coming back to it and I did change a few things. As I said, I do have an ending, just not written down yet. I thought that I would just publish what I have for now and see how these go. If I do write the ending, well, we'll see.


Claira now went into her room and closed the door.

Darren drunk more beer through the night and only moved as he noticed the sun coming up. All the cans he had drunk now fell to the floor as he heard the door to Claira's bedroom open. He quickly moved to the kitchen and grabbed a bag and put the cans into it and moved to the sink and put his head under the tap to try and wake himself up.

Claira slowly came downstairs and noticed him trying to wake himself up. She moved into the kitchen and moved along the worktop to look through the cupboards.

"Claira." He said touching her hand which she quickly pulled away.

Darren now turned away and sighed.

She grabbed a bowl and found some cereal and put it into the bowl.

"Just stay there and I'll warm the milk up for you." He said moving to the fridge.

"I don't need the milk warm this morning." She said snapping at him.

"What are you talking about? You always have the milk warm. I'm just a little late getting started this morning."

"Yeah sure you are." She said opening up the fridge and looking into it. She now went to the waste bin and pulled it out to see the five or six empty beer cans in it.

"Claira, I need to apologise, I just didn't want you to go through those cards last night."

"Why?" She said looking at him. "Because since the cruise your little hiatus has turned you into a novice photographer?"

"No, of course not."

"You know, I haven't really thought of this before but you've changed since the cruise."

"I've what?" He said fighting a lump in his throat.

"Changed."

He moved away to grab a pan and poured some milk into it and put the pan onto the stove.

"In what way?"

"I don't know dad, but there's just something different about you."

He smiled and looked at her.

"Go and sit down while I sort this breakfast out." He said and watched her move out of the kitchen.

Darren sat across from her as they had breakfast.

"I'm surprised you can stomach breakfast after seeing those cans in the bin earlier."

"Oh that's nothing, because dad's have two stomach's." He said looking at her listening to him. "I can put the beer in one stomach and my breakfast in the other. Never the twain shall meet." He said then took a chance. "Come here." He said as she leaned forward and kissed him. "You are my child and you're right, I have changed." He added holding her hand.

"Yeah?"

"Yes." He said touching her face. "I'm starting to understand my offspring better." He said kissing her again. "I need to take a shower otherwise I'm going to lose my job at the main gate as their resident photographer."

"Can I go through the cards tonight and print some of the photos off, please, please." She said leaning over to him.

"I would like us to go through them together. Is that a fair trade off?"

She looked at him.

"I guess, but it is my job…"

"Well, I would like it to be a family job from now on. We can then agree which are the best photos…"

"Dad, all your photos are best photos, except since we've moved here." She said looking away.

"Hey, don't sell me too short." He said bringing her face back to look at him.

Some hours later Darren was with Ted going through the photos he took yesterday.

"I had to stop Claira going through these last night and we had our first family disagreement about her job role." He said flipping through the photos.

"Have you grounded her yet?"

He took a deep breath.

"Grounded her? I don't think I could ever do that." He said looking away. "I just wish I could understand what the relationship between them was like. I don't think we've quite captured it like it was, yet." He turned the screen off and jumped up. "I wonder if I ever will."

"How do you know you haven't captured it yet?" Ted said looking at him. "Has she said anything to make you think that?"

"It doesn't have to be something verbal with Claira, although it helps. Well, it's not like I had a chance to study the chemistry between them before I, before."

"You need to be put on a photoshoot together."

"Oh no, no way." He said moving to the door.

"I'm not saying right now, there are still a few things that you need to pass with me before you can truly hand that card with your name on it to anyone outside this estate." He said watching Darren relax. "But, I can't help you with the chemistry you have with your child. Only you can get that back, if you really want to be proud of that business card."

Darren was uneasy with his words, but he knew he was right.

Ted led Darren through the staff canteen that lunchtime as people carried on around them.

"Now this is a good test for you. Sometimes you might get a cruise where the captain has a personal table and you are always going to get someone asking for their photo taken around a table set up. I'm going to go around some tables here and size a few people up for some shots. Why don't you do the same with some other tables and we will compare photos later."

"Alright, well what am I looking for?"

"A bit of spice."

"While eating your lunch? I might get custard thrown at me."

"There is formal and informal shots available. It's just a matter of timing." Ted said moving through some tables.

Darren put his bag down at one table and changed his lens as he looked up to notice his last subject move through the queue. She noticed him and then turned away as Darren stared at her but did not notice the lens was not attached to the camera properly and it dropped to the floor.

The noise of the lens smashing to the floor made everyone stop for a moment. Darren fell to the floor to pick it up and try to reattach it to the camera as Ted walked over to him.

"What the hell are you playing at?" He said grabbing the lens.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened."

"Are you insured?" He said handing the broken lens back to him.

"I've never checked to find out. I must be if I take jobs for fifteen grand a contract."

"Well, you better check that you are up to date because this was your father's lens. They don't make them like that anymore." Ted said then moved away again.

Darren stared at the lens in bits and turned back to his case and pulled out another lens and attached it to the camera properly. He studied the damaged lens as he then put it back into his case.

"Hi."

A voice said behind him. He spun round and recognised her.

"Hey, hi." He said looking at her.

"Did you have an accident?"

"Err, yeah, err, its nothing. I'm insured." He said closing the bag up.

"This seems to be the only empty table."

"Oh right, sorry. I'll go and mingle then." He said grabbing his bag.

"I didn't notice you have any breakfast this morning after drinking those beers all night and morning." She said placing a second plate on the table.

He stopped and looked at her.

"Sorry, but you're not my psychiatrist…"

"Mr Walters, please." She said directing him to a seat.

"Oh, so now it's Mr Walters?" He said looking at her as she stood by the table.

He looked around the room as life carried on. He then slowly sat down and put his camera bag next to him. He looked at the food in front of him and finally grabbed the knife and fork and tried to relax as he tucked into the free meal.

"You're not my psychiatrist, but you just happen to be watching the monitor for the last twelve hours or so, yes?"

"I was shown the edited highlights."

"Don't tell me, John, right?"

"He seems to believe that the amount of shots you took of me yesterday and hardly any of the other people around you count amounts to harassment. He suggested that we should get to the bottom of what made you concentrate on me more."

"Of course he did." He said pushing the plate away from him. "Let me just get one thing straight..." He added about to get up.

"My name is Allison, Allison Leary." She said holding out her hand.

Darren looked at her and slowly shook her hand.

"Now, if you excuse me, I have some photos to take." He said then stood up and was about to walk away.

"Am I the only person in here that doesn't look wooden?"

He looked at her and took a deep breath.

"If it means anything to you, yes."

"Then, I would be willing to spend some time with you and your camera to help you understand the process of becoming a better professional photographer." She said looking up to him.

"On whose orders? You or John's?"

"If you want to believe this, as a psychiatrist, I thought it might help you with the human factor?"

He looked around at everyone else carrying on eating their lunch and doing their own thing then looked at Allison sitting in front of him and slowly sat back down.

"Now we can talk sensibly." She said grabbing her knife and fork again and looking at him from across the table.

Ted was in the other room downloading his photos into the viewer when Darren walked in talking and giggling with Allison.

"Hey, I didn't know you'd, I mean, I thought you would have packed up and gone home by now." Darren said closing the door behind him as Allison moved into the shadows.

"I was just loading these last photos into the viewer." He said noticing Allison moving along the back of the room. "That's very moody lighting over there." He added moving to the wall and turning the overhead lights on to bring her back into the room.

"Sorry, I thought…"

"We wasn't expecting you to be still here." Darren said looking at him.

"Obviously." He said pulling his card from the viewer. "Did you manage to take anymore photos after your accident with your father's lens?"

"Err, a few."

"Well, do you want to go through them now, or..?" He said finishing his sentence looking at Allison.

"Look, I better go." She said moving to the door. "It's getting late and Claira will be leaving school soon." She said looking at Darren.

He touched her hand.

"It's just a handful of photos, it won't take long."

Ted looked down and shuffled his feet as Allison looked back.

"We better not." She said opening the door. "I'll see you tomorrow sometime." She said and walked down the corridor.

Darren watched her go then looked at Ted packing his camera away.

"What was that in aid of?"

"What?"

"Allison? Making her think that she was not welcome."

Ted laughed and looked at him.

"Me?" He said grabbing his bag and moving towards the door. "What would have happened if I wasn't here, ha?"

"Nothing." He said moving to the viewer and started to load the card into it.

"She's playing with you Phil, can't you see that, or do you want John to run the CCTV back in the morning in front of everyone?"

"Allison is helping me, you know, like Annie helps you." He said moving up to him.

"You can't get involved with anyone within the centre. First rule of photography, don't fall for the person hanging off the end of your lens."

"That maybe your first rule, but it's not mine. Now as I said a moment ago, Allison is simply helping me get some good human portrait shots."

"Then I hope you just stick to that. Nothing comes from whirlwind romances except for heartache and trouble. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. Oh, by the way, this is your claims form for your father's lens." He said handing him a document.

Darren looked at the form in his hand and looked up as Ted left him to the sound of the viewer running in the background.

Claira had some homework that evening and walked downstairs into the den to find Darren going through the photos he had taken that day.

"Dad?" She said moving up behind him.

He spun round putting himself in front of the computer screen.

"Hey sweetheart. I thought you were upstairs."

"I was, but I need help with my homework."

"Oh, err, right, okay, err, let's go into the living room." He said standing up.

She looked down and recognised the paperwork for the claims company.

"Did you have an accident?"

"Ha, oh err, yeah, it was nothing." He said turning the screen off and attempted to go into the living room.

She picked it up and looked at the heading.

"A lens?" She said turning around and looking at him. "The number corresponds to grandfather's equipment." She said looking around the room for the bag.

"Claira, it's just a lens." He said stepping back to her. "It was old and the reason why I dropped it was because the ring was so worn, it didn't fit the camera properly and it fell onto the floor. I'm insured, 'll get it replaced." He said moving back up to her as she found the bag and opened it up.

"Grandpa's favourite lens." She said picking the bits out of the bag.

He sighed and hugged her.

"I know it was. I have used it in the past, so it's very old and easily breakable." He said looking down at her looking at the damaged lens. "So, do you want help with this homework or not? I mean, I hope that I can help you with your homework." He said taking the lens from her and putting it back in the bag and closed it up. "What do you need my help with and please remember I am only a professional photographer." He said trying to make light of the situation.

She looked at him.

"That's where you have changed."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Grandpa."

"What about him?"

"His equipment, dad. You wouldn't leave that claims form lying around…" She said looking at him. "And the last time you dropped a lens, grandfathers or your own I only found out when the cheque arrived on the doormat months later." She said walking out.

"Claira, we have just moved into a new estate and I am trying to get back onto my feet so I can start advertising myself to prospective cruise employers again. If you think that these small diversions from the norm are all adding up to something big that has happened in our family then I would like it if you could kindly tell me. If not, then you did ask me for some help with your homework and I would like to help you, if I can."

She looked at him then put the homework down and explained her problem.

Darren grabbed his camera bag from the back of his car the next morning and moved to lock it up when he noticed Ted arriving at the gate and being checked in.

"Good morning." A female voice said behind him as he spun round and recognised Allison.

"Hey, hi." He said stepping up to her.

Ted now sounded his horn as he pulled in next to them.

"Phil…"

"Oh well, work before play." He said picking up his camera bag.

"There's no harm in me walking into the building with you."

"No, of course not." Darren said as Ted now joined them.

"How did it go last night?" Ted said diverting his attention away from Allison.

He looked at him.

"What do you mean? I didn't spend the night with her, if that's what you're thinking."

Allison laughed and moved towards him.

"I think Ted is talking about Claira." She said looking at him. "Am I right, Ted?"

"Of course."

They walked into the corridor and noticed John walking away from the coffee machine.

"Well, why don't you ask John? No doubt he has the edited highlights from last night." Darren said moving up to him.

John looked at him as he swallowed his coffee.

"I didn't get a call in the night, so that must be a plus. He said looking at him. "I'm just going in now to get a report on everyone else. I do have twelve other people to deal with."

"With Phil being the unlucky thirteen." Allison said following John into the room.

"I'm just glad that I am now being called by my real name. Unlucky thirteen indeed." Darren said looking at Allison as the door closed in front of him.

"Come on Phil, our room is this way." Ted said breaking his concentration.

"I know, I know." He said looking back at the closed door as he walked on.

Allison leaned into the door as John threw the folder onto his desk and they looked at the camera showing Darren walking away slowly and looking back a few times.

"Well, do you think that you have got to him?"

"I'm not happy with the thought of what you are planning, but he's been alone for three weeks, with just a dead man's belongings and his child…"

"I'm going to ask Ted to spring the camping trip on him tonight."

"With me accompanying them?" 

"Of course." He said moving up to her. "I think he's sold that he believes you to be a psychiatrist."

Allison looked down then back up again.

"I better start packing my camping attire." She said moving to the door.

"You're not falling for him, are you? I need to know that we are tight on this."

She smiled.

"Of course I'm not falling for him. I have done this too many times before. You know that." She said looking at him.

Darren loaded another set of photos that he had taken into the viewer after lunch and looked at them. Ted walked in and moved up to him.

"I've just been talking to John."

"Oh, oh.., what restrictions is he now imposing for me?"

"Don't be so negative." He said moving up to him. "He was telling me that the school Claira is in will be having a long weekend next week for training purposes and I am not doing anything that weekend either.."

"Meaning?"

"Well, John was telling me that he has some extra land on the estate that we could use for photography experimental research. It will also give you the chance to work with your child the way you used to on the cruise ship."

Darren stood up and moved away.

"I can't." He said looking at him.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"It's too soon, she, we're not…" He stopped and looked down. "I can't be asked to do the things he did with Claira. I've only been with her a few weeks. I'm not ready, we..." He grabbed his bag and pulled the card out of the viewer.

"Phil." Ted said to him as he went down the corridor.

Darren stood in the safe courtyard as the door opened behind him.

"Ted just came to see me saying you stormed out of a meeting." Allison said moving up to him.

Darren spun round and looked at her.

"Did John set all this up?"

"What?"

"John, that…!" He looked around for a camera. "We are not your puppets. Claira is my daughter and you…"

Allison took hold of him as he fell to the ground.

"Phil, talk to me."

"You are not my psychiatrist either." He said pointing at her.

"Calm down, okay. Now what is going on?" She looked at him.

He took a deep breath and looked at her.

"John has offered Ted the chance to take us out onto the estate somewhere to work as professional photographers, Claira and me, like we were on that cruise ship."

"That's a good start…"

"Yes, possibly, but I can't do this now."

"Why not? She's your child, you know her more than anyone around here."

He shook his head and walked away.

"Phil…"

"You don't get it do you?" He said turning back.

"Get what?

"Him."

"Who?"

"John. He wants me to fail, or that Claira finds out who I really am and that I go back to being on death row and Claira, she…" A tear fell from his eye.

"You really think you will fail?" She said moving up to him. "That you can't be Phil Walters, the man I fell in love with?"

Darren looked at her as she touched him. He now pushed her towards the wall and started to kiss her.

They made love there and then.

Allison noticed the time and started to get dressed as she looked at Darren doing the same.

"What are you going to do about John's offer?"

He looked up and sighed.

"I don't know. I can't be Phil Walters professional photographer just like that. Claira has bought my hiatus because we've only been together a few weeks, but I am nowhere near a professional photographer and if we go out there as a family..." He thought back the lump in his throat.

"I'm not doing anything next weekend." She said looking at him. "Would you like it if I accompanied you?"

"Who as, my psychiatrist or my lover?"

"You tell me." She said moving back up to him.

"No, I can't go through with this, it's just too soon." He said looking away.

"Phil, you need to test Claira too you know. This family works both ways."

"Yeah but I killed her father, she didn't kill me."

"You're scared…"

"Too right I'm scared, Claira is my daughter."

"Then a few nights under the stars and back to basics is exactly what the Walters family need."

Darren watched her leave him to the room.

Ted was putting his camera bag back into his car when Darren came out of the building and they looked at one another. He slowly stepped up to him.

"I'm sorry for leaving you back there." He said looking at him. "I just feel that it's too early for me to work with Claira like, like he…"

"Well, you know your own child." Ted said moving to the driver's side and opening up the door.

Darren looked at him and took a deep breath.

"I've been with her less than three weeks, being a father, a photographer, professional or otherwise even less. Maybe when I'm more relaxed with the idea…"

"Which is why it would be best to see if the family can work together now. Believe me, every photographer has a short fall, somewhere they don't do as good as they think they could do alone. Look at me and Annie, she works with me when I am on photo shoots."

"I, I don't know..."

"Of course you don't. Phil, what have you got to lose? You're in a correctional centre, you can't move without being watched and you are Claira's father. She will help you in exactly the same way because you are her father as much as she helped you before." He said watching him shuffling his feet. "Phil?"

He looked up.

"Yes?"

"Go home and talk to her."

Darren watched Claira over dinner and thought about what Ted had said.

"I err, I heard that the school is closing early over the weekend next week."

"Yeah, Helen told me that they are closed from Friday to Monday." She said cutting up her food.

"Have you got any idea what you are going to do over those days?"

She looked up.

"No. I guess the teachers will give me loads of homework to keep me busy, which means I won't have much time to go through any pictures that you might take in the meantime."

Darren watched her and then cleared the lump in his throat.

"Well actually, I..." He stopped and realised she was hanging off his every word. "I've been offered a job with Ted." He said looking at her. "It's nothing much.."

She jumped off her seat and ran round to him.

"We'll do it." She said jumping up and down.

"We?" He said stopping her jumping up and down.

"Well, of course we, we're a family, a team. What kind of job is it exactly?" She said walking back to her chair.

"I don't know much about the details. John has some land in the hills. I guess he heard that I am on a hiatus at the moment. Ted is free next weekend too, so he is also coming along with Annie." He stopped and looked at her munching on her dinner and nodding. "And I also have a friend who might be able to join us too."

"Brilliant, the more the merrier." She said looking at him. "Does John have a place in the hills we can use?"

"Err, no I understand that we are hiking up there and camping al fresco."

"Camping? For how long?"

"For a couple of nights. I'm taking all my equipment up there and I'm just going to keep shooting until we run out of cards."

"Are you sure you are still on a hiatus? I mean, this sounds like a job to me."

"Hey, this is a mini break from this place if you're interested. Of course, if you don't want to come, I am sure that I could ask Helen to put you back in that home they put you in after the failed cruise."

"No, no." She stopped and looked down. "I hated it there and you were nowhere to be seen. Dad they, they wouldn't even let me ask how you were. I kept asking and asking but they never told me where you were or how you were."

He looked at her then got up and moved up to her.

"I never want you to think of that place again, not ever. I never once forgot about you." He said touching her. "They gave me some photos of you, but it was never the same as, as it is having you right here with me." He said kissing her.

"Then, can I come on the photo shoot with you?"

Darren stared into her eyes and smiled.

"Oh, I can't say no, can I?" He said as they hugged.

 **Chapter 13**

Later the following week Darren was in the den sorting out the camera equipment when Claira walked in with a small sleeping bag.

"Claira, Claira..."

"What?"

"All my camera equipment is neatly packed up here and you are dragging in your unwanted sleeping bag."

"Unwanted? Dad, I need a bed to sleep on, unless you are planning to wrap me into one of your camera bags for the two nights." She said looking at him.

"Sweetheart, you are my child. Two nights holding onto daddy is not going to make any difference. You held onto daddy when we were on the ship, remember?" He said touching her. "Now, I have packed everything we need…"

"What, even potato chips?"

He stepped closer to her.

"Alright, I think I remember that we are not a lover of potato chips." He said kissing her.

On the first day of the camping trip Ted arrived with Annie early to get himself ready for the long walk. Allison walked up from the main gate building as Darren noticed her and walked down to meet her.

"Hi." He said kissing her as everyone looked on. "Did you park at the main gate?"

"Yeah, err I fancied the walk up." She said then looked behind him and noticed the other people in the party. "Is Claira okay?"

"She is fine." He said pulling her on. "Come on, I'll go and get her."

Claira walked out of the house and noticed Darren introducing her to the others. He now noticed her and moved up to her.

"Hey." He said taking her hand. "I need to introduce you to someone." He said leading her over to Allison. "Sweetheart, this is Allison Leary. Allison, this is my daughter, Claira."

Claira stepped forward and shook her hand.

"Oh, very formal." Allison said then looked at Darren smiling.

"Do you know my dad?"

"Yes, indeed I do. I work with him at the main gate." She said looking at her.

"You're the lady in my dad's photographs."

"Well, I allowed your father to take some pictures of me, to help him out, yes." She said watching her.

"It's nice to finally meet you."

"Alright, alright." He said pushing her forward. "Are we all ready?"

"I am, yes." Claira said looking back.

"Good. I'll go lock up." He said moving to the door.

Within hours they were walking into the overgrown area behind the correctional centre, but still in full view of the cameras.

Darren looked back at the rooftops and took some pictures then followed the others up into the woods.

They found a small clearing and decided to put up their tents. Claira helped Ted and Annie clear an area and make an area for a small fire.

"Have you ever spent a night in the open air, Claira?" Annie asked watching her collecting some wood.

"Only when dad lost the key to our cabin a few cruises back." She said laughing as Darren looked back and smiled.

Allison watched her then stepped up to Darren.

"Listen to her…"

"Yeah, I know." He said moving closer. "They're going to be busy for some time. Do you have any thoughts on what we could do for an hour or so?"

She moved up to him and they kissed.

Later, they all huddled around the open fire and shared a bottle of wine as they all talked about social things.

Claira soon become tired and moved up to Darren and he picked her up and held her.

"We'll take a walk up to the ridge tomorrow to take a look on how the rest of the world live, so make sure you have your telephoto lens with you." Ted said looking at him.

"Already sitting ready and waiting."

"Do you mind if I tag along?" Allison asked and Ted nodded.

Darren looked down to Claira asleep on his chest.

"I better get her inside my sleeping bag otherwise she will be cranky in the morning." He said getting up and carried Claira over to their tent. Allison moved up to him.

"I'll see you in the morning." She said moving forward and kissed him.

"Dream of me, while you're asleep." He said then went into his tent.

Bright and early the next morning they headed up to the ridge and poised on the edge as Ted and Darren set up their tripods and discussed shots as Claira made sure all the lenses, cards and batteries were ready to be grabbed when requested.

Allison watched as the men carried on along the ridge picking more spots to get pictures. Darren left his tripod behind as he found a track just off the ridge and moved down to get some other shots. Claira moved down behind him watching him as he looked at his camera.

"Battery low?" Claira said moving up to him and grabbing the camera off him checking the information bar.

"Err, yeah." He said watching her changing the battery and checking the cameras condition.

He moved around her and watched her swapping lenses and then the card and handed it back to him.

"You might be interested in this lens and I've changed the card too."

He stared at her as she walked past him to look at the view.

"Thank you." He said still looking at her.

"No problem, it's my job." She said looking at him. "The view is magnificent. Definitely wouldn't get views like this on a cruise ship." She added.

He now sat down and pulled Claira into him.

"You're right, the view is magnificent." He said taking some pictures of her.

Darren finally walked back to the camp that afternoon as Allison met them.

"Hey." She said stepping up and kissing him.

They got together an hour or so later and Allison found a trail that they had not used and led him back up to the ridge.

"You do know that they are going to send out a search party if we get lost up here." Darren said moving up to her.

"We're far from the closest cameras." Allison said looking around.

Darren stopped and looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

Allison did not answer him and pulled him further along until she noticed something and stopped.

Darren now came level with her as she took out a key and handed it to him.

"That gate down there, this is the key to the padlock."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The trail heads onto the main highway. If you go now, I will cover for you and say that you just got away from me and I couldn't stop you."

Darren stared at the key in his hand.

"What are you saying? You want me to escape?" He said looking at her.

"Well, of course I do, Darren. Isn't this what every convict at this correctional centre wants in the end? Now just go." She said pushing him on.

"Darren? You just called me, but my name is Phil, you know that…" He stopped and looked at her as he now dropped the key and turned away.

"Darren…?"

"No, that's not my name!" He shouted, turning back. "Now I know why you have brought me up here."

"Well, of course, to show you that you do not have to be stuck here, you can get out of this hell hole."

"And what about Claira?"

"Well, what about her? She's not your child, she's not your responsibility, Darren you are a single man and that key is the only way you can get out of here." She said stepping back up to him.

He now stepped away and started to move back down the trail towards the camp they had made. Allison now stopped him.

"You are seriously telling me that you want to stay here?"

"Yes, of course I want to stay here."

"But, Darren, I don't understand, you are not Claira's father, you do not have to stay here…"

"Who set this up, ha? Was it John?" He looked at her. "Of course it was, to test me, no doubt. To see if I really was enjoying my life now as Philip Walters." He said walking on.

"Darren…"

He now stopped and looked at her.

"If you call me Darren one more time…"

"Why? What will you do? Kill me like you did Philip Walters? Is this the real Darren Hicks coming through now?"

He stared at her as they now heard Ted calling out to them.

He now went back to the key and picked it up.

"Use the key yourself and get out of my life, unless you want me to tell them what you were really here to do."

She stepped up to him and touched his face and he quickly stepped away.

"John will only find something else to catch you out on."

"He won't, because I am not Darren Hicks." He said stepping back up to her. "I'm Phil Walters and I live with my daughter on this estate." He said kissing her hard and then walked back in the direction of the camp.

He soon found Ted and walked up to him.

"Where have you been?" He said.

"Up to the ridge where my would-be girlfriend finally showed me what John had planned for me."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that she tried to give me a key to a gate that could have allowed me to escape." He said looking back.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." He said looking away.

"Well, I did tell you not to get involved with her…"

"Yes, I know." He said shuffling his feet. "But, I thought she was the one, you know. Someone I had found as who I am today, Philip Walters, not, not, him…!"

"Phil, it's been less than a month since you both moved here. You need to give yourself a chance as well as your child."

Darren nodded and they walked back to the camp.

Claira noticed them walking down and ran up to them.

"Hey, you found him." She looked around. "Where's Allison?"

Darren picked her up and hugged her.

"Oh, she took the long way back. We won't be seeing any more of her again." He said kissing her.

They cleared away their tents and started to walk to the back of the estate early the next morning.

When they arrived home Darren went straight for a glass of wine and started to unpack his cameras. Claira took the cards out of the cameras and loaded them into the viewer and flipped through them. Darren soon noticed some pictures he had taken of Allison and pulled the card out of the viewer.

"Why did you do that?"

"I just did. Can we try another card?" He said swapping the card over.

Claira watched him.

He made sure the photos were flicking through then sat down looking at the photos from a distance.

Claira now moved over to him and sat down close to him and pushed her head into his side as he sipped at his wine.

"Did you and Allison have a row?"

"No and before you ask, I am not talking about it."

"I don't blame you." She said wrapping her hands into his arm.

He now jumped up and pulled the card out of the viewer and went out.

Darren now left the house and headed down to the main gate. A security guard stopped him getting any further.

"I know John is in there…"

"No-one is in there, the building is closed, just like the school. For training."

"Yeah, I know what they're training them in there. To make their understudies force the criminals to make a mistake or decide that going back to the chair is worth running away from."

Claira heard Darren shouting and slowly walked down to the main gate. Darren continued to talk to the security guard as she moved up to him and took his hand.

"Dad?" She said softly.

He looked down and quickly stepped away pulling Claira around him.

"Go home Mr Walters. The building will be open from 9am tomorrow morning." The guard said as Claira looked back.

"What's going on?"

Darren pulled her back up the road to their home.

Claira watched Darren going about the house for the rest of the day and evening, but banging every door and cupboard around him. Claira sat silently in the living room watching him.

They had dinner that evening but Claira knew he was still upset.

"I could see that you liked her." She said quietly.

He sighed and looked up.

"She caught my eye, if that's what you are wondering." He said wiping his mouth. "Are you finished?"

She nodded and watched him pick up her plate and go into the kitchen.

"Did she dump you, or did you dump her?"

He stopped and turned around.

"Excuse me?"

She jumped off the chair and went to him.

"Well, she didn't come back with us, so something must have happened."

He now cleaned the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

"I don't know what happened to her. We just decided to leave it as it was and that was that."

She jumped onto the kitchen worktop as Darren read the information on the dishwasher.

"Well, it wasn't like it was when we were on the cruise and you practically stayed in your room all the way back to LA after Michelle ended her relationship with you days after we left LA." She said smiling.

He looked at her then stepped away.

"So something happened that you decided you did not like about her, not vice versa?"

Darren now turned back and stepped up to her.

"If you carry on with this line of questioning I know a child very close to my heart that could end up grounded for the rest of the evening." He said coming nose to nose with her.

"I'm just trying to help you out." She said watching him moving to the fridge to take out a bottle of wine. "This is exactly how you went when we were on that cruise last year. You locked yourself away and if it wasn't for the fact that you only had a low amount of customers on that cruise, you would have been fired there and then and we would have been hauled off before we reached home."

Darren laughed as he poured the wine into the glass.

"Is that so?" He said sipping at the wine.

She jumped down and moved up to him.

"You know it's true. The last time you didn't drink anything though. I guess Allison taught you that?"

"Teached me what?" He said looking at the wine in the glass and put it back onto the worktop and pushed it away then moved into the living room.

She looked at the glass of wine sitting on the worktop.

"To drown your sorrows in a glass of..." She now picked the glass up and brought it to her lips.

He quickly moved back to her.

"Claira, Claira." He said taking the glass from her.

"What?"

He now moved to the sink and poured the contents away.

"You're too young to drink something like this." He said and turned back to her.

Claira slowly put out her arms as he looked at her. He now moved forward and they hugged.

"I'm sorry I am not old enough to make you feel better."

He now knelt down and looked at her.

"Don't you ever think that." He said kissing her. "You are perfectly old enough to make me feel twice as better. You are my child and I will always love you for that."

He picked her up and carried her into the living room and played with her the rest of the evening.

 **Chapter 14**

The following morning Ted pulled into the main gate car park and noticed Darren heading towards the gate. He now stepped up to him.

"I know that this has been brewing in your head all through yesterday and this morning but, one thing you should not do is have it out with him."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll realise that what he did was right. The wrong way of doing the right thing, but you are a criminal."

"Was." He said looking at Ted.

"Was, are, Phil they are just words. What you have learnt about the art of photography, your own child…" He said looking at him. "Somewhere you have to agree that this place has changed you for the better."

John now pulled into the car park and looked at them.

Ted now grabbed Darren as John walked past.

"He is not worth it. Your child and you profession is, believe me when I say that."

Darren now pushed him away.

"What's your second job, a psychiatrist or a body guard?"

Ted looked at him.

"Both." He said holding out his hand. Darren looked at him then shook his hand. "We have some work to do and it does not include going after him." Ted added as he grabbed his camera bag and they went in.

Ted went through some of the shots they took over the mini break in the hills around the estate and compared techniques.

The door now opened and they both looked up to see Allison walking in. Darren jumped up and moved away. Ted looked back.

"Do you want me to..?"

"No, she's leaving." He said pointing back.

Allison moved up to him.

"Phil, please, I need to speak to you."

"No you don't. You said your last words to me yesterday."

"Look, I'll give you two a couple of minutes." Ted said walking out.

Darren moved to the viewer and turned it off.

"Is there any of me on there?"

"No, and if they are they will be deleted." He said looking at her.

"Look, it's obvious you know the reason why I am here…"

"I bet you're not even a psychiatrist, either."

"No, I'm not." She said as he looked away. "John noticed that you were attracted to me. He, I, well, when he set up the photo shoot in the room... We were all just asked to stay there at John's request and you just happen to like me and then John told me what I had to do."

"Make the convict slip up... I then go back on death row and the child gets chucked around the system for the rest of her adolescence."

They looked at one another.

"Today is my last day. I failed in getting the convict to run away as requested. John should see now that his correctional centre works. I just want to know that you are okay."

"I'm fine." He said looking away. "Claira thinks it was just another one of her father's one night stands. I'm learning more from my own child than I have from that folder he wants me to read night and day." He said shuffling his feet.

She now touched him and he turned away.

"I'm so sorry, Phil…"

He turned back and looked at her. She now turned away and moved to the door then slowly left the room.

Darren shook himself down and took a deep breath.

Ted walked back in and looked at him.

"Do you want to take a break?"

"No, we have too much work to do." He said going back to the viewer.

Ted closed the door and walked into the room.

Claira returned home that afternoon to find Darren in the kitchen.

"Hey." She said walking up to him for a hug.

"Hi..." He said kissing her.

"Have you been working today?" She said looking towards the den.

"I have but not for long though, so you don't need to go into the den tonight."

She moved back around to the living room.

"Did you go through any photos of Allison?"

He looked at her.

"Not many, and before you ask, I talked to her today and we have decided to leave it where it is."

"Does that mean that you are not going to lock yourself away in your bedroom for a few weeks?"

He looked at her and moved out of the kitchen.

"A few weeks?"

"Well, maybe two, at a push…" She said looking away shyly.

"You know, I never knew that I was living with a liar for a daughter." He said grabbing and squeezing her.

He played with her for a while then set about making dinner.

"I'm glad that you..." She stopped and looked at him.

"Glad that I, what?"

"I mean, with Allison…"

"Hey, before we start going down the reason why we decided to end our..." He now stopped and looked at her. "Claira, my life has been very complicated. It's been complicated for longer than you have been in my life." He said moving back to her as she sat on the stool by the kitchen looking at him. "Allison was a good face for my camera, and I did like her, but things were going on in the background that I..." He looked at Claira listening to him. "I have been totally preoccupied with this job and trying to shake off this hiatus is really hard at the moment."

"We need to get back onto a cruise ship, give up this house like we did the other..."

"No, no..!" He said stopping her.

"Well, why not? You've done this before. We are better off living and working on an around the world cruise job, you know that..."

"Better off as what, though? A family? What? Professional photographer? Just keeping happy that money is coming in to keep us going? I am your father and I know myself that we are better here, moneywise, work wise and school wise, definitely for you."

"With no money, no life and no job, yeah right."

"Is that what you think?"

"Yes, because since that last cruise you…"

They looked at one another. The timer now went on the oven. Darren slowly moved back into the kitchen and checked the dinner. This made her jump off the stool and head for the den.

"Claira!" She shyly stopped and looked back. "We are not finished here, we need to discuss this."

"Discuss what? You changed dad, not me." She said going into the den.

Darren looked at his reflection in the glass oven door.

They stayed quiet during dinner which did not help matters. She helped him clean up afterwards as Darren watched her.

"Claira." He said stopping her. "You, you say I've changed.., but I'm still your father and I know that for the time being we belong here."

She looked down.

"I can't understand what changed you. Why do we have to live here? A correctional centre of all places."

"It has something to do with my hiatus. Probably once I get this thing sorted out, we could look into getting back onto the cruise ships, but I can't promise you anything because of the situation we find ourselves in."

"I still don't know why we are here. When you started talking about killing my dad…"

"I didn't know we were going to end up here. I thought I was never going to see you again. Claira, I loved you then as much as I do now, but I didn't know we were going to live here. You have to believe me."

"So why can't we go back to the cruise? There are cruises going on all the time and they are always looking for professional photographers…"

She tried to turn around but he stopped her and pulled her into him.

"We are always going to be a family. What I said back on the cruise was me just worried at what was going to happen…"

"A man died and you are accused of killing him. I try to get to you and you say that you are not my dad..."

"Claira, I was messed up. The money, the job…" He touched her face. "I never wanted to get you involved and I thought I was doing the right thing by telling you that I was not your father and that I was not a professional photographer. I never wanted you to end up in a home. When I was offered this deal and they told me I could be with you again…"

"Do you think they will allow us to get back onto a cruise ship anytime soon?"

He looked away.

"Well, maybe one day. When you start getting through your schoolwork."

"And you get off this hiatus." She said moving to look at him again.

"We both need to take steps to get back to where we was work wise, but I think we're pretty close when it comes to us being a family again." He said looking at her.

"Well, you're my dad, even though you told me you wasn't..." She said smiling.

He now hugged her.

"I am your dad and I have always been in your life as much as you have been in mine." He said kissing her. "Now, can we work on the other things that you say are missing?"

She nodded as they hugged again.

Claira stepped off the school bus the next day to see a big car barrelling down the road and hitting all the garbage cans as it pulled over. The big passenger door opened and Claira noticed a child step out from behind it and close the door. The car now sped away in a cloud of smoke as the child moved up to her.

"So, what's your name?" The child said moving around her.

"Ha?" Claira said breathing in the smoke from the car and started to cough.

"Yes, you will do." She said grabbing a pen from her bag. "What did you say your name was?"

Claira cleared her throat.

"I didn't, but its Claira Walters."

"Walters, yes…" She said scribbling something down. "What about your parents?"

"My parents?" She stopped and looked away. "I only have one.., my dad."

"Alright, well what's his name?" She said looking at her, pen poised.

"Philip.., Philip Walters." She said as the school bell rung.

"Great... It will be interesting to find out which one of you is lying." She said putting the pen back in her bag. "By the way, my name is Mary, Mary June." She added and ran in the direction of the classes.

Claira watched her disappear into the classroom and was puzzled at what she just said.

Later that day, Claira was in line getting her lunch when Mary walked up to her.

"Well, here you are again..." She said looking at her. "I just called my dad to check the main gate servers to find out about you and your old man..!"

"What are main gate servers?"

"The computer's that hold all our lives in their balance." She said looking at her. "You're telling me that you don't know why we're all here?"

Claira looked at her.

"Of course I know why we're here. I don't know about you." She said moving away.

Mary now stopped her.

"Which one of you is lying then?"

"What do you mean, which one of you is lying?" She said stepping back.

"Someone here always lies. That's how this place works. It's a correctional centre, didn't you know that?"

"So, it's a correctional centre.., I'm, I mean, we're not going to be here for long. My dad is on hiatus for a while."

Mary now started to laugh.

"Well, you've certainly answered one question for me."

"What is that?"

"Who's lying." She said looking at her. "Now I just need to find out why." She added laughing and walking away.

Claira stared at her in bewilderment.

That evening Claira heard Darren on the phone explaining his hiatus to someone as she now jumped up and moved into the kitchen to get something to eat.

"You'll spoil your dinner." He said walking into the kitchen.

She looked up.

"I'm not hungry." She said grabbing some potato chips.

Darren now took them from her and put them back in the cupboard.

"My dinner is much better than them." He said pushing her out.

She turned around and jumped onto the stool.

"Who was that on the phone?"

"Ha, oh err a customer."

"No doubt you had to turn them down." She said playing with the grooves in the worktop.

Darren looked at her.

"Are you alright?" He said moving up to her. "You've been…"

She now jumped up and moved to the living room.

"I've been, what?" She said sitting down.

"Well, I don't know..." He watched her. "Have I done something wrong?"

She looked at him as they stared at each other.

"Possibly, I don't know yet."

He sat down next to her.

"Was school okay today?"

She looked away.

"I don't know." She said now looking at him. "A new girl started there today and she said something that seems to be puzzling me."

"What did she say?"

"Well, she asked me for my name and then she asked me for your name, which I gave her and, well she said that it would be interesting to find out which one of us is lying."

Darren looked at her.

"Lying?"

"Yeah..." She looked at him. "What do you think she means?"

"I don't know." He said looking away. "Look, do yourself a favour and stay away from her."

"Why? Is there something going on that one of us has to lie about?"

"No, of course not." He said getting up and going to the kitchen again.

Claira got off the bus the next morning and saw Mary walking up to her.

"Have I got some news for you." She said grabbing her bag.

"My dad said that I've got to stay away from you."

"Really? Maybe this information I have found might give you a clue why he's saying that." She said handing her a piece of paper. "Your dad is the liar and my dad is working on what happened to merit him living here."

Claira looked at her as the bell rang.

Claira was in class when she finally looked at the piece of paper Mary had given her. It was a handwritten and mentioned Darren Holt and that he was living in the correctional centre. Claira quickly went up to her.

"It says here that a dead man is living on this estate…"

"No it doesn't..." She said grabbing the paper from her. "It says that Darren Hicks is living here."

"Well, here's the news of the day. Darren Hicks is dead. He was on the cruise that my dad and I was on before we moved here. He died on the ship and we all had to return back to LA."

"And that's the reason why you are living here." She said looking at Claira.

"No, we're here because my dad is on hiatus. We've never really had a proper home because of my dad's profession."

"So you suddenly find yourself living here. A government run institution for convicts." She stepped forward. "I bet you will be itching to find out the truth on why you are really here."

Darren walked out of the den that evening and noticed the piece of paper on the kitchen worktop. He read his name on the paper and looked around. He now scrunched the paper up and put it in the bin under the sink.

Claira walked into the kitchen and looked around.

"Hey, where did the piece of paper go?"

"What piece of paper?" He said looking up.

"The piece of paper that had that dead guy's name on it…, Darren…"

"I put it in the trash."

"Well, why did you do that?" She said moving towards the cupboard below the sink.

Darren stopped her.

"Would you mind telling me where you got that name from?"

"From Mary…" She said trying to move around him. "I told you, she's got the name from her parents…"

"Claira, the guy is dead. Why would you want his name?"

"Because he lives here." She said getting to the cupboard and pulling the bin out.

"He lives here?" He said watching her take out the piece of paper and unfold it again.

"Yes…"

Darren now grabbed the piece of paper from her.

"Do you know what you're saying?" He said looking at her. "You're saying that a dead man is living…"

"I know, I know, but why would she give me the name of the guy who died on our cruise.., you know the guy who died on our last job..."

"Yes..."

"That's his name, Darren…"

He spun around.

"He's dead!" He shouted at her. "Dead!"

"I know that." She said looking at him. "So how can a dead man be living here? Mary said she will find out and let me know."

"No she will not, because I am contacting Helen." He said moving to the phone.

Claira watched him dialling the number. Darren got her answer phone and spelt out what he could with Claira hanging over him.

"She's not there, then?" She said watching him replace the receiver.

"No, but that doesn't mean that I will be letting this drop. I will contact her again first thing tomorrow."

She watched him as he walked into the den and closed the door.

Claira slowly prodded at her breakfast cereal the next morning as she watched Darren on the phone to Helen. The conversation was calm and collective with Darren spelling out everything that Claira already knew.

She walked into the class some hours later to find Mary some tables behind her. Claira carried on through the day and saw Helen walking around the school on a regular basis.

"Hello Claira, how are you today?"

"Fine." She said looking at her.

"Good. You know your dad is only being protective and very right that he should be living on this estate."

"Why are we both here?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why are dad and I here? We haven't done anything wrong."

"Nobody said you had."

"So, why are we here instead of being on a cruise ship working?"

"Because your father agreed to this option."

"Well, why was this place an option? We were on the cruise, some guy who I have never met died and my dad…" She stopped and looked at her. "Something is going on and I don't know why we are now living here because of it."

"Nothing is going on Claira. The state was just worried that your father had taken you out of school and we offered him this option on getting you back to school."

"Why isn't my dad working?"

"He is working."

"Yeah, taking pictures of flowers and dogs…" She said looking away. "We belong on the ship working like we have in the past."

"And, again, when we are happy that your grades are satisfactory, you will both have the chance to possibly get back onto that ship."

"When you are happy with me? You're not interested in me… You're interested in my dad or at least someone around here is interested in my dad and I want to know why?" She said looking around for the cameras.

Helen did not answer her.

Later that day Claira was waiting in line for her bus home when Mary appeared.

"Listen, they've got the cameras focused on us. My dad gave me some information that he managed to find out about your dad, Darren Hicks last night."

"My dad isn't Darren Hicks. He's the dead guy on the ship we were on." She said looking at her.

"Take this..." Mary said handing her a laptop. "This has decoded their computers at the main gate. It's connected to my dad's computer. If you want to know the truth, log into it. If you don't then just dump it."

Claira took the laptop from her and put it in her bag just as Helen appeared.

"Keep moving please."

Claira looked back to see Mary disappearing into a car.

She jumped off the bus that evening and walked into an empty house. She quickly dumped her bag by the door and took out the laptop and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She now started the computer and noticed that it was connected to the main gate servers.

Darren returned home sometime later and noticed her bag by the door.

"Claira?" He said closing the door. "Claira?" He repeated moving to the foot of the stairs.

He now looked back and moved to the kitchen to grab a drink and looked into the fridge to see what was available to eat.

Claira grabbed a pen and paper and started to write down a few things as there was a knock at the door. She jumped up and quickly closed the laptop as Darren walked in.

"Hey." He said looking at her. "Did you have homework?"

"Err, yeah something like that."

"Dinner is nearly ready, so if you want me to leave it in the oven for you to warm up later..?"

"Well, I think I have got what I was looking for." She said grabbing the piece of paper. "I'll be down in a moment." She said smiling.

"Good, I'll see you downstairs." He said then closed the door.

She looked at the photo on the screen that gave the name of Darren Hicks at the bottom of it. She grabbed the laptop and headed out of her bedroom and down the stairs. She noticed Darren in the kitchen and quickly went into the den and connected the printer to the laptop.

She put some photo paper in the printer as the mugshots of Darren Hicks now printed out.

"I don't want you to have dinner in here tonight Claira, so if..." He stopped and looked at one of the photos that was just ejected from the printer.

Claira quickly took them from the tray.

"I'm nearly finished…" She said as Darren stopped her.

"Wait a minute..." He said pulling her hand away as he looked at the picture. "Where did you get this from?"

"Err, it was on the internet and I just downloaded it. It's nothing, dad..."

He stepped forward and took the other picture from the tray.

"I thought we talked about this..."

"No, you talked about this and you need to answer the question I have, dad. Darren Hicks looks like you, how?" She said looking at him.

"I don't know." He said grabbing the pictures from her and tearing them up. "Now drop this, right now!" He said turning away and going outside.

Claira quickly followed him.

"How can this guy look like you? Are you Darren Hicks?"

Darren spun round and looked at her.

"No, of course not."

"Then why does it have your picture and a dead man's name at the bottom of it?"

"I don't know."

"Well, maybe someone else does."

"Just drop it Claira." He said looking at her.

"Why?" She said moving around him. "Is it true then? Are you Darren Hicks or you were Darren Hicks before we moved here?"

"No!"

"You said that you were confused on the cruise ship when you told me that you were not my dad and you said your name was Darren Hicks..."

"I was confused because…"

"Because, what?"

"Because he looked like me, because…" He stopped and looked away.

"How did he die?" She said looking at him.

"I don't know. He just did." He said fighting a lump in his throat as he now left the room and went out into the back garden.

 **Chapter 15**

Claira was at lunch when Mary moved up to her.

"My dad said you accessed the computer last night. Did you find what you were looking for in regards to Darren Hicks?"

Claira looked at her and sighed.

"Sort of, yeah."

"And?"

She looked away.

"I still don't know…"

"What do you mean you still don't know? The information was right there. Darren Hicks killed your father and you are now living with him in this, hell hole."

"How can he look like my dad? This is what I cannot understand."

"You don't need to understand. You are living with a complete stranger who killed your dad on the cruise you were on."

"And that's the reason why we are here?" Claira said looking at her.

"Yes. We are all here for a reason. Your dad killed someone and my dad has done so many things we are also here."

"Within a family estate that is also a correctional centre?"

"With a school, a working environment within it…"

"This place is very well managed and that's why we are all being controlled here and the quicker we get out of here the better."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"My dad knows this piece of land in the hills that is part of the centre."

"Yeah, we've been there before, a few weeks ago."

"Great, then you can come with us. There is a gate at the back by a main road. My dad has managed to get a key to fit it."

"I can't come with you, my dad will know I've left the house and we are covered with CCTV everywhere we go."

"My dad's got that covered too. There is a shift change at midnight. The cameras are not checked until morning by people at the main gate. By then we will be long gone."

Claira looked at her.

"Well, when are you planning to leave? I need to get some clothes together."

"Does that mean you're interested in joining us?"

"If my dad has been lying to me then, I don't know..." She said looking away.

"Look, we're leaving tomorrow night. If you're interested then meet us on the ridge road for 11.30pm." Mary said then left.

Claira checked the old rucksack in the cupboard and started to load a change of clothes into it. She moved into the kitchen to grab something to eat as Darren walked in through the door carrying his camera equipment.

"Hey." He said putting the bags down. "I need to change the cameras for the morning. Are you going to be okay for dinner tonight?" He said moving up to her.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

He kissed her.

"Good girl." He said then carried the bags into the den and closed the door.

Claira watched him for a while working in the den as she munched on her food. She then moved into the den and moved to look at the photos he was printing out. She moved to the sofa and sat down.

Darren looked at her then turned the viewer off and moved up to her.

"Are you alright?" He said sitting down next to her.

"Yes."

"Do you want a hug?" He said watching her.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I've been working a lot lately and daddy needs a hug." He said pulling her into him and holding her. "Oh, I have missed this."

Claira looked at him.

"Are you still working with Ted at the main gate?"

"Yes, hence the horrible photos. I'm almost embarrassed to print them off."

"I guess it's hard for a novice to compete with a fully professional photographer."

Darren now looked at her.

"You've been talking to Mary again." He said getting up and moving to the computer.

"Only because she knows what's going on around here."

"And you think I don't?" He said looking back.

"You just want to keep the status quo and carry on learning how to be..." She stopped and looked at him. "How to be my dad."

They looked at one another as the silence between them spoke volumes. Darren looked at the photos on the viewer. The printer finished off its run and Darren collected them and moved to the door and opened it.

"I think we can skip the last hour or so and you can go straight to bed now."

She stood up and moved up to him.

"Suits me fine." She said looking at him as she went out into the living room and headed up the stairs.

She moved into her bedroom and took out the backpack again and checked everything and loaded a torch into it and closed it up.

The next morning the air in the house was still very icy as Claira played with her breakfast. She noticed the time then remembered her backpack and looked upstairs.

"What's the matter?" He said looking at her.

"Ha?" She said looking around.

"Did you forget something?"

"No, no. I better get going." She said getting up.

"The bus stops right outside, remember." He said stopping her.

"Yes, I know." She said moving away.

"Claira." He said jumping up. "I don't want you to go to school today."

"Well tough, because I have got to go to school today." She said moving out into the living room and grabbing her school bag.

"I want you to come with me to the main gate." 

"Why?" She said looking at him.

"Because I want to talk to John about what's been going on with you and Mary. I need to know that he isn't up to his old tricks again."

"What old tricks?" 

"About splitting us up."

"Why would he want to split us up? He hasn't done anything dad, you have." She said pointing at him.

"He is testing me. Finding out if I can really stay here."

"Well, he's probably right."

The school bus now turned up outside.

Claira moved to the door as he stopped her.

"Claira please, we need to talk." He said touching her. "I think John has set this all up, like he did when he set me up with Alison. The meeting with Mary, the pictures she gave you… He's testing us, testing our family bond."

"What family bond dad, you lied to me." She said then opened the door.

"I have never lied to you. You're my child."

"I'm Philip Walter's child, not yours." She said then jumped onto the bus.

Darren stood there as the bus disappeared down the road.

Darren asked for a meeting with John and sat in another room with two way mirrors and cameras looking at him.

John soon walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Phil." He said putting the file down on the table in front of him.

Darren looked at him sitting down.

"Have you got a time and a date for when Claira will be leaving by the back gate?"

John looked at him and sighed.

"Really, Mr Walter's, is this the only reason why you have requested to speak to me today?" He said sitting down and opening the folder.

"You know it is, because you are the instigator, just like you were with Allison." He said watching him. "You want this family to fail, for one or both of us to leave this correctional centre. You get more fuel for your failure in the society fire and your popularity increases tenfold."

"Contrary to popular belief, I actually want everyone on my watch to pass because I then get to open more correctional centres all over the state, all over the country even."

"Oh, I see, so this is a personal thing then." He said watching him. "Because I killed the child's father."

"I'm glad that you still remind yourself of that point."

Darren looked away. He sighed and watched John going through his folder.

"Do you want me to beg?"

John looked up.

"Beg, Mr Walters?"

"Beg you to stop your test on the child."

"And what test is that?"

"The same test you carried out on me, with Allison. You are now doing the same to Claira." He looked at John. "To achieve the removal of either one of us from the centre by ways or means that, that…" He stopped as he felt a lump in his throat. "Please, I am begging you, I will do anything you want me to do. Please do not allow my child to leave me. Please do not make me tell her the truth, she, I can't tell her and I know she will never handle it."

"Mr Walter's, the child is of no consequence to me. The child was released to the disposal of this correctional centre by the children's home…"

"Meaning, she will go back there if she finds out who I am and what I have done?" He said looking at him. He now stood up. "You can't take her away from me. You can't give her that option, she is my child. You know that she will not survive without me, Helen has already proved that to us. We are both here on your programme and we are a family. We don't want to leave until we are both ready to and I know that this is a long way in the future..."

"We, Phillip, we?"

"Claira and I." He looked at him. "I can never make up for what I did, but I was born with Philip Walter's face and I believe that we belong here as a family. I know what I did was completely wrong, but I was scared, especially seeing this man with my face..."

"You still need to serve that lifetime sentence, Mr Hicks…"

Darren looked down and nodded.

"I accept that, but don't punish the child, don't punish my child, she is all I've got." He said looking at him.

Claira met Mary in the playground later that day.

"My dad is all ready for tonight. Are you?"

"Yes."

"Good, we'll meet you at the top of your road at 11.30pm and lead you up to the gate. We'll all cross over together."

"Do you know where we will go after that?"

"I don't know. There's just a long road beyond. We'll probably hitch a lift to the nearest town."

"But, I don't know anybody outside this estate. I only know my dad."

"We'll just take every day as it comes."

Claira was not comforted by her words.

Later that day Claira sat down to dinner with Darren.

"Did you see Mary today?"

"Yes, I did." She said then looked at him. "What about you? Did you see John?"

"Yeah…" He said looking at her.

"And..?"

"Sweetheart, he can't answer the questions only you can answer. I believe that he's testing us, but it's you who needs to realise this."

"I thought that it was you that was not answering my question. Are you Darren Hicks?" She said looking at him.

"Alright, if it will make any difference, I am not Darren Hicks. I am your father, Phil Walters." He said watching her.

"Did you kill Darren Hicks?"

"No!"

"I don't believe you."

"I am your father."

"Then why did you say you wasn't and said you were Darren Hicks? Unless I was talking to Darren Hicks on the cruise ship."

"I just did and I wish I didn't now. Claira, I am all you've got. We came here together as a family because that's what we are."

"Yeah are, not were. That's the difference."

"There is no difference because I am Philip Walters, your father."

She now jumped up off her seat and ran upstairs.

Darren retired early to bed that evening but could not sleep.

Claira grabbed her rucksack from under her bed and set two pillows into her bed and slowly moved down the stairs into the living room. Some food was left on the table and she loaded the food into a smaller bag and with one look back at the house, she moved out through the front door and closed it behind her.

Darren got out of bed sometime later and moved towards Claira's bedroom and slowly opened the door and went in.

"Claira?" He said silently as he stepped up to the pillow filled bed. "Sweetheart." He said pushing the covers as he noticed the pillows. He now pulled the covers back and looked around. "Claira!" He shouted.

Darren ran down the stairs and put the lights on in the living room. He now moved into the den and grabbed the phone and contacted the main gate to alert them that Claira was missing.

Claira made it to the top of the estate and looked around. Within a few moments Mary appeared with her father.

"We wondered if you was going to show."

"I'm here aren't I, let's get it over with."

"This is my dad, John." Mary said as John stepped forward.

"Hello Claira, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She said adjusting her straps.

"Alright, let's go." John said starting to walk up the hill.

Darren run down to the main gate and noticed John's car in the car park.

"Where's John? His car is here, so he must be in the building somewhere." He said looking around.

"He's not here." A guard said grabbing him.

"His car is here..!"

"He is out on the estate somewhere."

"Then call him. He has to know that Claira is leaving the estate tonight."

Sometime later Ted arrived and they headed into the hills together.

"Do you know she is heading for that gate in the hills?" Ted asked as they drove up into the hills."

"Yes, because Mary told her about it. What I can't understand is that John is on the estate somewhere and no-one has contacted him."

"He probably hasn't taken his phone with him." Ted said watching him.

John led the two children around the hill and onto the road that led down to the gate. They picked the road up and moved up to the gate as Claira looked at it.

"Where's the road?"

"Just down there." John said pointing as he took out a key.

"Mary said your name is John…"

"Yeah."

"Dad was talking about a John at the main gate.., is that you?"

"It is, yes."

"This is your place then?"

"Yes."

He said putting the key into the lock as Claira stopped him.

"Why do you want to help me to leave then? If this is your place then any failure will show up badly for you."

"No, it will just prove that no-one can be put in such a position as this and expect to carry on with their life."

They heard a car pull into the area as Darren jumped out of the car and ran down the road towards them.

"Claira!" He shouted as he moved up to them and recognised John. "Thank god you're here John, Claira is trying to leave..." He stopped and noticed the key in his hand. "Wait a minute..." He stepped forward. "You're helping her to leave?"

"She's made up her mind, Mr Hicks, all on her own..."

"That's not my name and you know that."

"Hicks? Then he is Darren Hicks?" Claira said looking at him.

"No, I am not. I am your father, Phillip Walters."

"If she steps beyond this gate you will be Darren Hicks to her..."

"She's not going to step past that gate because she's my child and I won't let her go." He said grabbing her and pulling her into him. "She belongs with me, here."

Claira pushed him away.

"You did kill my dad and you took his place on the cruise..." She said looking at him. "And when you said that you wasn't my dad, you were right about that too."

"Claira, that's all in the past. We are living here now and we are a family."

"Only because you look and sound like my dad."

"And because you would never survive in a children's home. You told me yourself that you hated it there. Claira, we are a family. I am learning every day to be Philip Walters, even you can see that. Ted is teaching me everything about being a professional photographer." He moved forward to her again. "Claira please don't leave me, I love you. You've changed me, this place has changed us together, into a family." He said touching her face. "Do you really believe that we can survive out there on our own?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you had killed my dad? Why didn't you tell me that you were Darren Hicks?"

"Because I was scared." He said looking at her trying to believe him. "Yeah me, big old dad, scared, scared that I'd lose you. I thought my face, my voice, becoming a professional photographer was good enough, but I was wrong."

"Why were you wrong?"

"Because I was a hood, a crook, someone who lived his life on a whim. The first time I had ever slept on a bed was when I awoke on the ship with you in my arms. It freaked me out." He said looking away.

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't be a dad, I couldn't be anyone. I couldn't imagine being responsible for anyone or anything, except myself."

"How did my dad die?"

Darren looked skyward as a tear fell from his eye.

"He was just there..." He said looking at her. "You know me and my knife under the table?" He said edging closer and touching her hand.

"Yeah."

"One minute he was there, he had my face, my voice. We stood there together for, for what to me seemed like an eternity..."

"And you took out your knife and, and you killed him?"

"I was different then, I had to survive and he would have called someone and we would have returned back to port that instance."

"But we did return to port after they discovered his body."

"He was already your dad by that time Claira, even though he said he wasn't. With Hicks wearing your dad's clothes and you by his side, his transformation was complete." John said looking at her.

"You, you could have left me in that home they put me in after you..." She now looked at Darren and moved closer. "Where did you go after you left me?"

"I killed someone, so I was put on death row."

"You mean you didn't care about me? You didn't know that I was..?"

Darren now hugged her.

"If I had known that my child was in that horrible place and I could have done anything about it I would have in an instant."

"We showed your father some pictures of you when we offered him this option, Claira." Helen said moving from the road towards them.

"Hey mum..." Mary said going up to her.

Darren and Claira looked at them.

"Well, I think that we have come full circle." John said moving forward.

"I don't understand." Darren said looking at him.

"This estate is run by myself along with my family. Helen, my wife and Mary, my daughter." He said looking at them. Mr Walters, you are family number thirteen and we were family number one in this place. As I said to you before Phil, this correctional centre works. We are all just one big happy family." John said looking at them.

Darren looked at them.

"What are you saying…? Are you criminals too?" Claira asked looking at them.

"No, just me.., Helen, my wife ran the local children's home where this little one was. To cut a long story short, I fell in love with them and we knew we could do something about it. Twelve families on and I think we've got a winning formula." John said hugging Helen and Mary.

Darren stepped forward.

"We're about to make that thirteen families and counting." He said turning around and looked at Claira. "Sweetheart?" He added as she looked up at him and he knelt down to her. "We belong here. We are home and we are a family, you and me." He said taking her hands.

"That reminds me, I have all your documents back at the main gate waiting for you to collect when you have the time, Phil..." John said moving past them.

"Dad's documents?" She said looking past Darren.

"You're dad's documents." He said looking at her and smiling.

Claira watched them walking away as she moved closer to Darren.

"Is he talking about a dead man's documents, or, or?"

Darren now kissed her.

"He means your dad's documents because they're mine, along with you, my daughter." They looked at one another. "Trust me, I am your dad." He said hugging her.

Ted now moved up to them.

"Come on, I'll give you a lift back."

Ted pulled over outside their house and Claira was already asleep.

"She must be exhausted." Ted said looking back at Claira.

Darren slowly pulled her into him.

"Do you know she sleeps all the way through most things?"

"Really, well, that's less questions for you to answer in the morning then."

"Oh no, she'll have plenty of questions for me, no doubting that."

"By the way, I'm going to put a recommendation into John."

"Recommendation, for what?" Darren said looking at him.

"That you keep your title…"

"Title?"

"Philip Walter's, professional photographer." He said handing back his card.

Darren looked at him.

"But, I'm nowhere near…"

"You're close enough for parties and the odd wedding. I'm only down the road anyway and John can easily contact me if there is a problem."

Darren shook his hand.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you for choosing the right profession, eventually." He said smiling.

Darren stepped back as Ted pulled away. He looked at Claira sleeping on his chest and returned to the house and moved up to her bedroom. He slowly undressed her and put her into the bed and tucked her in as she stirred.

"Dad?" She said lightly opening her eyes.

He moved in close and kissed her.

"Shush, I'm right here. You're home now." He said touching her face. "I'll see you in the morning." He said then turned off the light and closed the door.

He moved into his bedroom and sat down and let out a rush of air as he noticed the time and looked around content at his surroundings.

 **Chapter 16**

A peaceful calm had overtook the house of the Walter's through the following months as Darren studied hard to master the techniques needed to be a professional photographer.

Claira was going to school regularly and became good friends with Mary.

Claira was stepping off the bus one morning when Mary walked up to her.

"Guess who my dad is meeting today."

"The mayor of the city?" She said taking a wild guess.

"The Captain of that ship you were on before you came here with your dad."

Claira stopped and looked at her.

"You're lying."

"No I'm not."

"Why would our Captain come here?" She said following her into class.

"My dad invited him."

"Yeah, but why?"

"Maybe he might offer your dad his job back."

She looked at Mary as they took their seats.

Darren was busy going through some photos when the phone rang in the living room. He looked over to it and jumped up.

"I swear that I am going to get the house phone moved into the den and vice versa." He said going into the living room to answer it. "Hello?" He said looking around.

"Phillip, its Helen..."

"Hi Helen, is everything okay?"

"No, which is the reason why I am calling you. Claira left school unannounced this lunchtime."

Darren turned around and pulled the phone to the front of the house and looked out of the window.

"How long ago?"

"The tag alarm sounded twenty minutes ago and the CCTV followed her down towards the house."

Darren now opened the door and looked up and down the road.

"She's nowhere in sight." He said looking towards the main gate. "I'm coming over to the school…"

"Phil, I think she's heading for the main gate."

"Why?"

Helen paused for a moment

"John invited the Captain of the cruise ship you were last on to the estate."

"Well how did Claira..?" He stopped and looked down. "Mary again, ha?"

"Yes. I'm so sorry Phil..."

"Why would John invite the Captain..?"

"Well, under the correctional programme, John has to show the people that the offender interacted with that he or she has repented their transgressions and are starting to respond to the programme in a social way. The programme is government funded and John is required to show the government that the programme is working, you know, otherwise..."

"Yeah, I understand. Government funded, so in other words he is arse wiping for his next pay check."

He said looking away.

"Phil, I'm making my way to the main gate now, could you…?"

"Yeah, I'll head down there." He said dropping the phone and left the house heading for the main gate.

Claira walked around the perimeter fencing behind the main gate and moved towards a set of windows to look through them to see if she could recognise anyone.

A security guard now spotted her and called after her.

She quickly spun around and ran in the opposite direction and moved round a corner straight into someone as she started to struggle.

"Let go of me, let me go..."

"Claira, Claira take it easy, it's only me, your dad." Darren said holding her.

She stopped struggling and looked at him.

"Dad?"

"Yes."

They looked at one another as Claira now hugged him.

"Daddy, there was a man…" She tried to think of something to say.

"It was just a security guard. They were only searching for you because you left school unannounced." He said looking at her. "Now I am going to take you back..."

"No, no dad, Mary told me that John is here with the Captain of our last cruise we were on. You know the one where that man died on the ship and we had to go back to LA." She said looking at him.

"Yeah, and?" He said watching her

"Dad, he's here to talk to you about getting your job back."

"Nice try Claira." He said putting her down. "You're nine years old and you don't need to worry about anything while you're living with me, here. Come on, let's get you back to school."

Claira pulled her hand away.

"Dad, we need this job. We have no money..."

Darren looked at her and knelt down.

"Claira, we moved here with no money. I am working towards getting some money coming in, but we still have each other. We still have the house and all my camera equipment. I am not going to give up on you or this estate and certainly not my profession." He said kissing her.

"Mr Walters."

Darren looked behind him to see John and an older gentlemen standing beside him. He now stood up as he recognised the man as the Captain he had spoken to on the ship before he was arrested.

"Uncle Buck..." Claira said forging forward.

"Claira, Claira." He said pulling her back.

"Dad, what are you doing?" She said looking at him. "He's our Captain…"

"Claira, I think your father knows who the Captain is..." John said looking at Darren.

Darren watched the Captain step forward and hug her.

"It's nice to see you again." The Captain said looking at her. "I hear you are back at school now..."

"She is, which is where she should be right now, excuse me." Darren said pulling her on.

"Helen will give her a lift back." John said stopping him.

He looked at John.

"John, could I speak with you for a moment, alone, please."

He nodded and they stepped away.

"I know what you are going to say Phil, but the Captain asked to see you."

"You had no right bringing him here, especially with Claira..."

"Phil, the Captain put the request in when he was invited. It is unusual, but he was the Walters family employer and a very close friend. If you'd managed to read the folder to the end…"

Darren noticed Claira chatting with the Captain.

"John, Claira is still confused about who killed who… I guess because of what I said or because I look like..." He stopped as he started to fight the lump in his throat.

"Phil, she's your kid and I have informed him that she is confused sometimes and I hope that you will work something out where she will understand who you are, hopefully sometime soon."

Helen soon collected Claira and John walked back with Darren as the Captain moved up to them.

"Mr Hick's, is there a possibility that I could speak with you?"

Darren took a deep breath and looked at John.

John now stepped forward.

"Err, Captain, you are on the estate and you did agree to play by my rules when you arrived here today."

"No, it's alright John." He said as they walked on. "Claira isn't here..." He added now looking at the Captain.

They walked into the main gate building and found a private room and they took their seats.

"Claira doesn't know you are the man who killed her father, does she?" The Captain said coming to the point.

"Understandably, Claira is confused because of Darren's physical appearance to Philip…" John said looking at him.

"Mr Temple, you were not witness to the confusion that this man caused to my passengers and the returning of the ship to LA. The company is still paying from the abandonment of that cruise today. I need to satisfy myself that this man is being changed and is adjusting to a new life after the correctional centre programme has ended."

"You know, I don't have to listen to this crap. I can easily get this attitude from the other home owners on the estate."

"Phil please, you have to understand this from the position of the company that the Walters family worked for..." John said looking at him.

Darren stood up and moved away.

"Well, what do you expect from me?" He said looking at John. "He had the "relationship" with them and from what I read in the file it lasted some twelve or so years…"

"Until you ended that relationship, Mr Hicks."

Darren now moved up to him.

"You knew Claira's grandfather and him?" He stopped and looked at him then returned to his seat.

"You're finally getting this now, are you Phil?" John said looking at him.

"I can see that he did read some of the file you presented me with, John." The Captain said looking at him. "I personally know the Walters family, father and son for many years." He added. "You heard Claira say Captain Buck..? He said watching Darren nod. "Captain Buck was the Walters family name for me. I don't know if John has told you, but my real name is Captain David Mullen. It probably means nothing to you but, despite the many hard times Peter or Phil had fallen upon at the time, I always managed to give them a job on one of the cruise ships that was going around the world. That last cruise was Claira's fifth with me and Phil's twelfth since his father died." He said watching Darren.

Darren looked at the grooves in the wood as he listened to the Captain talk.

"Phil..." John said breaking his concentration.

He looked up from the table.

"Yeah, I'm listening,"

"The meeting we had before we were told of Claira leaving school to find the Captain..." He stopped and looked at him. "Phil, he wants to help you here but, only because of Claira."

"I saw Claira in that children's home that she was put in before John approached you with the offer for you both to move here. The transformation from that place to here..."

"It's because she is with her father, sir." Darren said speaking through almost a dry mouth.

The silence now built up between them again.

"I would like to see the child again."

"Sorry, but I'm not up to sailing off into the sunset on another cruise, just yet." Darren said looking at him.

"Phil, would you mind listening for once in your life." He said looking at him. "I've arranged for the Captain to have a dinner at your home sometime in the next few days."

Darren looked at him then the Captain.

"And I can't say no to this arrangement?"

"If you do, I might consider revoking your Philip Walters privileges."

He laughed and looked away.

"All conveniently planned while I was nowhere in sight, ha?"

"Of course Mr Hicks, if you don't want me to come anywhere near..." The Captain said standing up.

"Do I look as if I have any choice?" He said looking at him.

"Could I make one request on the behalf of the programme?" John said standing up.

"You may, yes." The Captain said still watching Darren.

"That whilst on the estate in the child's presence and at all times, that you call Mr Hicks by the name he has accepted as his own, Philip Walters."

The Captain looked at John, then Darren and slowly nodded.

"Please arrange a date with my office that is convenient for both parties." He said then left the room.

John looked at Darren.

"Do you want to get this dinner date over and done with quickly or slowly?"

"Are you attending this dinner date?" 

"Of course, with my family."

"Oh great, Claira will be so pleased." He said looking at him.

John stepped up to him.

"Keep walking that tightrope, Hicks."

Claira plodded around the supermarket with Darren as he looked for something to cook for their dinner with the Captain.

Darren looked at some of the meat that was available when Claira slowly moved up to him and started to hang off his arm.

"Dad, can't I wait outside?"

"No." He said then looked at her. "Claira, I need your input here."

"I don't see why. You've done alright shopping on your own before, even after I told you that I don't like potato chips."

"Because we're entertaining the owner of this estate and the Captain tonight, remember now?"

"So, you've done alright since we've moved here." She said looking down.

"Maybe you'd be happy if I robbed the shop instead ha? Is that what I would have done before I met you?"

They looked at one another for a few seconds then Claira looked down.

"You're a professional photographer…"

"I am now, but when you first met me I was a low life street robber…"

"I don't see why you're talking about him here. I can't help being bored."

"Claira, you are a child and very easily confused. That is why we are talking about him here." He said looking at her. "Because I am him, remember, Darren Hicks?"

She looked away

"But, you're my dad now, like you always have been because you know everything about me and what we do and…"

"Claira..." He said stopping her. "John gave me a folder about your father. While you slept in the house I simply read that folder." He added watching her reactions. "When we came here I did not know how to take a photo, let alone know how to prepare a shot…"

"But when we were on the ship…"

"Claira, I was desperate not to be unmasked. I was a bragger. I could have done anything with you by side."

"Because you look like my dad."

"Yes."

She looked at him.

"Did you love me then?"

"Claira, you were a total stranger to me. How could you expect anyone to love a stranger?"

"Because you were my dad..."

"Only in the guise of him because I needed to keep a low profile."

"And was that the plan when we moved here?"

"Of course not and that's because of what I did and the fact that you did not fit in at that Children's Home they put you in after they arrested me." He looked around the supermarket as people walked past. "Can we take this conversation up when we get home? This wasn't exactly the kind of place I wanted to explain my actions on that day to my offspring." He said pulling her into him for a hug.

"You call me your offspring, but I don't understand..." She said looking up at him looking down.

He kissed her.

"Because you've changed me." He said noticing her puzzled reaction. "Come on, we'll talk later." He said grabbing some food for the dinner that night.

Darren set about cooking the evening's dinner as Claira flitted around him.

"How does a street robber learn to cook like my dad? Was that in the folder too?"

"No it wasn't, but you do get to learn a lot when you're on the run." He said looking at her as he set the table. "You are so used to me that you have forgotten or have accepted my cooking as being you're fathers. And before you say it, I know only too well that most of the food we've had has been thanks to the chef's on the ships, which meant I never really got around to preparing and cooking any meals for us unless we were between jobs."

"Which tells you why I hate potato chips." She said laughing.

"Yes, alright, alright..."

There was now a knock at the door.

"I'll get it..." She said running out and over to the front door.

Darren moved back into the kitchen to check the oven. He soon recognised the voices and moved out of the kitchen to see John and Helen walking into the living room. Claira and Mary now rushed passed them.

"Dad, can we go into the den and take some pictures?" She said moving up to him. "Please, please." She said grabbing his hand.

"No, not tonight. The den is out of bounds for the rest of the evening. Until the Captain arrives you can play upstairs in your bedroom."

"But dad, there's nothing upstairs..."

"Then you can sit down here and listen to the boring adults talking, it's your choice at the end of the day." He said moving up to her.

"Come on Claira, we'll go upstairs and leave the squares to their cooking book." Mary said running upstairs.

Claira looked at Darren.

"Will you just go?" He said pushing her to the foot of the stairs. "When the Captain arrives I will come and get you." He added and then kissed her.

Claira ran up the stairs and disappeared.

"How's the confusion over daddy and Darren Hicks going?" John said as Darren went around topping up their drinks.

"Well, we're discussing it, let's just say that."

"If you have any plans to eventually get out of here you know that you can't until she accepts that fact."

"That's hard for both of us and you know that."

"You can't just expect the world to carry on out there like it has in here for the past six months or so."

"Then I'd rather stay here than out there."

"With no money except what you would acquire from being in jail? You would have to find some kind of other income and between you and me, there is not much call for a professional photographer in a correctional institution."

There was now a knock at the door as Darren looked up.

"Well, you're on." Helen said looking at him.

"Thanks." He said moving to the door.

Claira moved down the stairs as he opened it to find the Captain standing there.

"Good evening Phil." The Captain said lifting a bottle into his view. "I come bearing a gift." He added looking at him.

Claira now stepped up from behind Darren.

"Captain Buck..." She said moving out to hug him.

"Hello Claira." He said looking at her.

"Come on in." Darren said as he pulled Claira around him and allowed the Captain to come into the house.

The Captain handed Darren the bottle of wine and walked into the living room and greeted the other adults around him.

"Dad, can I show the Captain some of your recent photography work?"

"After dinner. Now go and sit down while I sort our meal out for tonight." He said then kissed her and pushed her forward.

They were soon having dinner around the large table.

"Tell me John, are all the houses on the estate like this one?" The Captain asked looking at him.

"They are. Some have changed the layout, one neighbour even managed to demolish a wall and is now living in a bungalow.

This produced a chuckle from the ensemble.

"Well, I think you have really come along with this plan of reforming convicts who have families." The Captain said looking at John.

"Thank you sir and I hope that we can count on your support when it comes to fundraising for this programme."

"Of course. I will put in a good word whenever you require it."

"Speaking of fundraising, dad could do with a bit for living here while still under contract with the cruise line, Captain..."

"Claira!" Darren said making her look at him.

"What?"

"That's the wrong kind of fundraising, sweetheart." He said squeezing her hand.

She now jumped off her seat and moved up to him.

"Dad, you need the money. We handed back the money we took from the passengers for the photographs we didn't deliver on when we were on the cruise ship…" She moved closer to his ear and whispered. "Captain Buck is okay, he can get you the money we need to survive here. He could even get us back onto another cruise."

"I'm sure he can, but we are doing okay here for the time being, aren't we?" He said kissing her.

"But, you have to keep putting all your jobs off while we're living here."

"Claira, you're nine years old and you're father is paying for what he has done by living here with you…" John said looking at her.

"I still work with dad though and I know that the Captain can help us." She said now moving up to the Captain. "Captain Buck, please we need to get back to working again."

"I'm sure you do, but my hands are tied at the moment because of what your father did on my ship."

"He didn't do anything, please…"

"Alright, that's enough now Claira. It's getting late and you have school in the morning." Darren said getting up and pulling her away from the Captain.

"Claira." The Captain said getting up and moved up to her. "The reason why I am here is so that something can be sorted out about this situation."

"So that we can go back to work on your cruise ship?" She said looking at him.

"Hopefully your father is taking those steps to getting back to where you were…"

Darren now pulled her away.

"Hey, you do not lie to my kid. I am not about to jump on board any ship you might own and take photos of rich millionaire's to keep whatever government funded project ticking over nicely. My family lives here and I am happy with that arrangement for now and possibly forever."

Claira now pushed him back.

"I hate you..!"

"Hate me? I'm trying to protect you."

"You couldn't protect anyone or anything. Captain Buck helped grandfather and now he wants to help you like he has done many times before and you don't care…"

"I don't care?"

"Yes, you don't care about anyone else but yourself…"

"Anyone but myself?" He said laughing and turned away.

"That is the reason why we are here and not with Captain Buck on another cruise ship with more money than we have today."

"How many more times do you need reminding that I killed your father on board Captain Buck's ship and that I took his place because I look so much like him?"

"Captain Buck is here dad, not on board the ship. The least you can do is listen to what job he is offering us."

"He is not in a position to offer a convict any job, Claira. We are in a correctional centre not a labour exchange." John said looking at her.

Claira stepped back up to the Captain.

"Uncle Buck can do anything, grandpa knew that and so does dad." She said hugging him.

Darren stepped up to her.

"Uncle Buck now, ha?"

"He'll look after us dad, I know he will." She said looking at Darren.

"Well, for the time being you are being looked after right here. Now say goodnight to Uncle Buck and I'll come up later and tuck you in." Darren said pulling Claira away and pushed her towards the stairs.

She stopped and turned around then hugged him.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"Because I don't hate you, you're my dad." She said kissing him.

"Thank you, but I know that already and so should you." He said hugging her. "I'll see you later." He added pushing her up the stairs.

Darren watched her disappear and waited for the door to her bedroom to close and then he looked towards the Captain and stepped forward.

"Captain, I would like you to leave now, thank you very much."

"Phil..." John said standing up.

"No John. I don't know what you are planning between yourselves or alone, but I do not want you in my house again." He said looking at the Captain.

"Mr Walters, I am simply offering you an olive branch for when John is given the chance to reinstate you back into the community."

"Then, when that happens, I will do it with the help of John and the programme, not Uncle Buck." He said moving to the door and opening it. "I would like you to go now, please."

The Captain moved towards the door and stopped.

"If you are too proud to accept my offer because of what you did on my ship, I am willing to overlook it for the welfare of the child."

"Welfare of the child?" He said looking at him. "Claira is my daughter, she belongs to me and with me. I will decide what will happen to her, not you and I will decide what will happen if we are allowed to re-enter the society."

Darren watched the Captain walk out to the awaiting car.

John now walked out with his family and looked at him.

"Look, err, I'll see you tomorrow sometime, ha?"

Darren just nodded as they got into their car and drove away.

He stepped out onto the driveway and watched the Captain's car pull away and head for the main gate. He was about to turn back towards the house when something caught his eye and he stepped into the light as he recognised someone standing on the sidewalk.

He now moved closer as he realised who it was.

"Allison." He said looking at her.

"Hello." She said silently.

"What, where, why?" He said fumbling for words.

"Are you alright?" She said looking at him.

"No, yes." He said stepping up to her and they touched. "I thought you were reassigned somewhere else."

"I was, but John needed me more here."

"John needed you more here?" He said looking at her.

"Well, I'm a very good typist."

They laughed and then they started to kiss.

It now started to rain and they quickly ran into the house.

They finished off the house wine and talked through the night and made love at dawn.

Darren stirred as he heard the door to the bathroom open. He now focused in on the door opening up to his bedroom as Claira walked in and moved up to him.

"Daddy?" She said trying to climb into the bed.

Allison now stirred and leaned over as she noticed her.

"Err, hi." She said looking at her.

Claira now screamed and jumped off the bed and ran out.

"Claira!" Darren said jumping out of bed and followed her downstairs.

She ran into the den and out into the yard as Darren now ran up to her and picked her up.

"Claira, Claira, take it easy."

"That was Allison in your bed." She said pointing.

"Very good observation." He said pulling her hand down.

She now looked at him.

"You're naked."

"It's, my, own, house, I'm allowed to be naked." He said looking at her.

"You had a go at me when I was naked…"

"Yeah, because I didn't know you then. Now, I am going to take a shower. Do you want breakfast or not?" He said watching her nod. "Alright, go into the kitchen while I go put a dressing gown on and then sort out some breakfast." He said pushing her into the living room.

Darren moved towards the stairs.

"Dad?"

He looked back.

"I thought you and Allison were..."

He looked at her and smiled.

"I thought we were too, but we talked about it last night and..." He looked down. "When you're older I'll tell you." He said then went upstairs.

He moved into his bedroom to find Allison behind the door.

"Are you alright?" She said looking at him.

"Ha?" He said closing the door and grabbed a dressing gown.

"I take it we've been busted." She said moving up to him.

"We have, but I think she's okay with it." He said looking at her. "I am going to make some breakfast and then I am going to take a shower."

"In that order?"

"Yes, in that order." He said as he kissed her.

Darren made some breakfast as Allison came down the stairs.

Claira looked at her as she sipped her milk.

"Hello Claira." She said moving into the kitchen.

"Hi."

"I hope you like the same food we do for breakfast as I am not about to do anything special…"

Claira now started to laugh as Allison stepped up to him.

"I do not require anyone going all out for me over breakfast." She said taking a piece of toast from his plate.

Darren looked at her then Claira who was giggling.

"Looks like I am getting outnumbered by women here." He said picking up Claira's milk and sipping it.

"Hey, dad."

"What? What?"

They all now started to laugh.

Claira got ready for school and came back down the stairs and noticed them kissing.

"Yuk, please get a room."

"Would you prefer a ship's cabin instead?" Darren said looking at her.

"Speaking of a ship's cabin, how did it go with Uncle Buck last night?"

"Err, okay."

"Okay as in we could be on a cruise ship soon?"

"Okay as in you have school." He said noticing the bus pull up outside.

"I'm going, I'm going" She said moving to the door.

Darren followed her.

"Claira."

"Yes?"

He now kissed her.

"I love you for who you are, my daughter."

She looked at him.

"And I love you too, but I have no idea what the rest of what you said means."

He watched her get onto the bus and it pull away.

"You're not going to tell her are you?" Allison said behind him. 

"No." He said turning to face her. "And she doesn't need to know."

"She'll hate you for it forever, you do know that, don't you?"

Darren shrugged his shoulders and went into the house.

"Are you going into work this morning?"

Allison closed the door behind him.

"Well, I haven't taken any sick days off yet…"

"Good, because I just called in sick too." He said pulling her upstairs.


End file.
